It’s a tough time to be a business owner, especially one that’s opinionated and fiercely independent. Take Cartel Coffee Lab. A barista raised the hackles of a guy on Yelp.com. He wanted coffee with caramel in it – they don’t have caramel. So he ordered a cappuccino, and the barista allegedly said “Just so you know it’s a REAL Cappuccino [sic].”
That would irritate me, too. The negative Yelp drew the attention of Jason, the owner. This guy truly cares about coffee. He loves doing it right, and he absolutely hates adjuncts. He’s a purist. I respect that. He meticulously ensures that his crew meets his standards.
And most of his staff is as personable as they are skilled. There are a few bitter beans in there, and I’d bet this came from one of them.
It’s good that Jason has his employees’ backs. But I don’t think he should tell a customer in a public online forum:
“If only you actually understood coffee, you might have been able to actually promote better coffee in AZ! You shouldn’t be commenting about coffee since you drink it with caramel anyway. You should probably rethink that life decision!”
For the record, I’ve had many conversations with Jason, and he’s a very likeable guy. And I truly understand how he feels. I love good beverages of all stripe. And when someone who drinks Corona turns a nose up at a SunUp Brewing cask-conditioned IPA, I truly believe Buddha drowns a kitten. But I also realize that people have their [...]
December, 2009:
A Customer Service Idea for the Yelp Age
5 Things to Do in 48 Hours – San Diego Edition
There’s no shortage of stuff to do in Southern California. Any visit will keep you occupied. But there’s more to San Diego than a zoo and Sea World. I didn’t get too far off the beaten path on my recent visit, but I dug up a few fun things with a minimum of repetition from previous trips. You can even think about skipping the hotels and just camping in San Diego – for real! Give these options a shot, and you’ll have some genuine fun.
Visit the Port Brewing/Lost Abbey Tasting Room – If you’re used to the mass-produced, watered-down swill that we often call “beer,” the offerings from Port Brewing/Lost Abbey tasting room will set you on the right path. All these beverages pack serious and distinctive tastes. The Port selections are more American-style, with big, hoppy India Pale Ales taking center stage. The Lost Abbey lineup features Belgian-style ales. The best way to get started is with a flight – one flight will set you back $4-$7, depending on the staff’s mood, I guess. Either way, you’ll get a super taste of craft brew goodness. Pick up a shirt while you’re there! Oh, and try the Angel’s Share even if it’s not on tap. It’s nothing less than spectacular. If you’re not already indoctrinated, it will change everything you thought you knew about beer.
Go to the San Diego Wildlife Park – Admission to the San Diego Wildlife Park is $37, which is steep. But it’s also a bit outside [...]
Get Through a Corner Faster!
Hey, it’s the pre-New Year’s edition of Mountain Bike Monday! That’s the weekly feature where I drop a great mountain biking tip on you, from gear reviews to technique tips.
To me, the real fun in mountain biking is in the turns. My absolute favorite sort of turn is slight bermed, slightly downhill and a medium radius. I love to enter a turn like this at just a hair below 20 mph, and feel my tires bite into the dirt.
Now, when I see a big, juicy opportunity like this, I use a great steering technique called “countersteering” to get through the corner ever faster, and to really smoosh by bike into the turn. Here’s how you do it – I’ll walk you through step-by-step in a hypothetical sweeping right turn:
1. Just before you enter the turn, put your left (outside) leg at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Put a good chunk of weight on that outside pedal.
2. Point your right (inside) knee into the turn.
3. As you enter the turn, stiffen your right (inside) arm.
4. Hold that position!
5. As you leave the turn, start pedaling.
It’s pretty easy, though kind of counter-intuitive. In fact, there are certain extreme circumstances in which your wheel will be facing the opposite direction of your turn. But give it a try. It works beautifully, and makes fast fun turns even faster – which equals a boatload more fun!
Got a question or suggestion for Mountain Bike Monday? Send it to wandering.justins@gmail.com!
Strangers in My Underwear – My Case Against Valet Parking
For the most part, I keep rants out of my blog. I like to keep it fun. But man, the proliferation of valet parking in my city is really getting to me.
Valet parking has its place. Like in big cities with labyrinthian parking schemes, draconian parking laws and crappy weather. Here in Phoenix, most places have easily accessible parking. And we get 7 inches of rain a year.
For some reason, though, there are some restautants with fairly small lots that are blocking out the majority or all of their parking for valet parking. This saves their patrons from having to walk, from the farthest space, perhaps 100 feet. I’m going to name names here: The Vig, Tommy V’s/Tomaso’s and Havana Cafe are the worst offenders. Each has a lot the size of a postage stamp. The Vig is particularly offensive - its management forces customers to either turn their keys over to a valet attendant or park across the street for the privilege of dining there. It pains me to say anything bad about Tommy V’s because of its great food and excellent staff, so call this a case of tough love.
I’m going to explain the problem for these restaurateurs: Valet parking is, in essence, like handing my underwear to a stranger, having him wear said underwear while I dine, and then tipping someone for their safe return.
I really, really like my car. Everything about it is exactly the way I want it: the mirrors, the tilt of the seat, the radio station, the loose change, the breath [...]
Checking out Marmot’s Mica Rain Jacket
Earlier this year, I was staying at New Zealand’s Skotel. The next day, Sarah and I would take a crack at the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, with a side trip up Mt. Ngauruhoe. Let me tell you, we were on edge with excitement. But we still had a day to kill, so we took a fairly short hike on some of the trails leading out of Whakapapa Village. The day started off quite nice. But wouldn’t you know? Weather near Tongariro National Park can be unpredictable. We got soaked, and spent way too much time with hair dryers trying to get our gear warm and dry again.
Never again, I decided. I pointed myself toward REI when we returned. They have a pretty large selection, and the staff is usually pretty helpful. But really, I’m from Arizona. My area gets about 7 inches of rain a year. I barely even knew what to ask to figure out which rain jacket I needed. I could’ve spent anywhere from $60 to $150 on a rain jacket … I always like to be armed with some information before spending funds of any sort!
I really could have used some help like the video below. This post comes to you courtesy of WebTogs, an online outdoor clothing company.
I rather like the idea of a YouTube demo like this. It’s a tidy explanation of the Marmot Mica jacket’s features. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit this, but it also explains some of the various tabs, buttons and straps that [...]
6 Cheap Last-Minute Gifts for Mountain Bikers
Welcome to the Holiday Edition of Mountain Bike Monday! Today, I’m giving you 6 ideas for last-minute, affordable holiday gifts for the bikers in your life. Enjoy!
1. New Chain – Okay, so it’s not exciting. But a new chain every 1,000 miles is like an oil change f0r your car every 3,000 miles: cheap insurance. See, if you use your chain too long, it stretches out and wears the cogs and chainrings all funny. And then it’s too late for a new chain to cure your shifting woes – you’ll need to spend all sorts of cash to replace the worn bits. I recommend SRAM chains.
2. Ergon Grips – I love these things, especially the GP-1 model. I consider them the best $30 upgrade I’ve ever made to my bike. They’re head-scratchingly odd at first sight, but one ride will turn just about anyone into a believer.
3. A big box of energy gels – Find out your favorite mountain biker’s energy gel of choice and fill the stocking with it. It’s not long-lasting, but its totally practical. It’s something we use on every long ride, so there’s no way this will get returned to the bike shop like an ugly tie.
4. A bunch of fresh water bottles – Yeah, I know … this also doesn’t sound fun. But every biker makes the mistake of letting water bottles sit with a bit of energy drink in the bottom. Then it gets all funky and turns into a totally grody-to-the-max science project. [...]
$7 Billion Giant The North Face Sues College Kid
There’s nothing like seeing a teenager with an idea and some can-do attitude trying to put himself through college by earning his money.
Obviously, though, The North Face disagrees with me. That’s why the company has unleashed the legal hounds on Jimmy Winkelmann, 18. He founded The South Butt as a parody of The North Face, which is purportedly worth $7 billion.
“Unfortunately, and inevitably, The North Face’s success attracts opportunists seeking to pirate its famous trademarks for their inferior knockoffs,” The Montreal Gazette quoted from the 84-page lawsuit.
The article has no information about which court the suit is filed in. This apparently started a few months ago with a cease-and-desist letter. The North Face is clearly out-of-touch – The South Butt isn’t making knock-offs, but products absolutely counter to its own. It’s spirited fun, and obviously not meant to confuse the buyer. The South Butt does not in any way appear to be trying to get hard-core ice climbers to grab their t-shirts and fleece for a technical ascent.
I use a lot of products from The North Face. But if it insists on dragging The South Butt to court, that’s the end for me. I am suspending all purchases of products from The North Face until such time as I’ve deemed it to have straightened up and decided to fly right. Heck, The North Face should give young Jimmy a job when he graduates from the University of Missouri Columbia.
What is it with monolithic companies? Do they not realize that they are their own worst enemies, [...]
